Unisex name · since 1972
Zephaniah
Zephaniah has 3,380 recorded births since 1972 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2019 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,342 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,456 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,380
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zephaniah currently ranks #1456 among unisex names in America, with 3,380 babies recorded since 1972.
Social Security Administration records show Zephaniah recorded 3,380 times among boys since 1972, holding rank #1456 nationally today, ahead of 90% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1972 to 2025.
- #2,342 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,456 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,380 born since 1972
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zephaniah ranks #2,342 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,456 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,380 born since 1972, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,342 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,456 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,380
- born since 1972
- 2010s
- peak decade
Zephaniah's 3,380 recorded births place it above 94.85% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Zephaniah compares
3,380 Top 16% higher than 84% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Zephaniah's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zephaniah | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,380 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 171 | 34 | 22,252 |
Zephaniah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zephaniah splits its recorded history at 2000: 87% of all births land in the more recent half, 13% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1972 (7 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 171 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zephaniah popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1972–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 171
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Zephaniah popularity over time - girls
477 total births recorded since 1996 (Zephaniah as girls' name)
Zephaniah by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (1,321 births, 39% of the file).
2010s was Zephaniah's strongest decade.
1,321 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Zephaniah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 37
1970s
37 births
- 1980s 109
1980s
109 births
- 1990s 299
1990s
299 births
- 2000s
2000s
846 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,321 births
- 2020s
2020s
768 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,321 births (39% of all-time use).
How Zephaniah compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Zephaniah's total volume
Zephaniah by state
Where Zephaniah concentrates geographically, total births since 1972
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 309 | 9.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 300 | 8.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 154 | 4.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 120 | 3.6% |
| #5 | Colorado | | 79 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 72 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 71 | 2.1% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 69 | 2.0% |
309 of 3,380 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Zephaniah appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zephaniah? ▼
Where does Zephaniah sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Zephaniah most popular? ▼
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Is Zephaniah a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Zephaniah been used? ▼
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What to do with Zephaniah's data
- Zephaniah's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,321 total births) through the 2020s (768) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Zephaniahs (309 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Zephaniah
Nearby Names Like Zephaniah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zephaniah
Compare Zephaniah side by side: Zephaniah vs Zephyr Zephaniah vs Zeppelin Zephaniah vs Zephan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zephaniah
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Zephaniah: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2019)
Similar record span (~53 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1972–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Zephaniah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.